…if what they want is GOOD food.

WARM PIQUILLO & CRAB DIP

With football season in full swing and holiday get-togethers rapidly approaching, I thought it was time to pull out another one of my favorite dip recipes. Miles away fromfrench onion dipin it’s unexpected flavors, this rich, warm crab dip takes it’s inspiration from a classic Spanish seafood tapa.

If you’ve never tried a piquillo pepper before, this is a great way to enjoy them. Imagine a jarred, roasted red bell pepper, only smaller, sweeter, smokier and more complex. That’s what to expect from a good, roasted piquillo pepper. When combined with succulent crab, fresh herbs and nutty Manchego cheese, you have a dip so unique and satisfying that you might consider foregoing the run-of-the-mill guacamole.

Don’t get me wrong, I love queso dip, spinach dip and artichoke dip, too, but there’s something especially substantial and satisfying about this particular dip. I mean, doesn’t it always seem like the inclusion of crab ups a dish’s swankiness?

WARM PIQUILLO & CRAB DIP

For even more piquillo flavor, I’ll sometimes chop a few extra peppers and fold them into the crab mixture before spreading it into the baking dish. While fresh, lump crap meat and crème fraîche make this dish especially rich and flavorful, I have made it using canned crab meat and sour cream. The resuling dish is just as delicious and way more affordable. Finally, if you can find them, spanish terra cotta dishes called cazuleasmake for an especially authentic cooking and presentation vessel.

Your dip is beautiful enough to distract even the most intense football-watching folks — I’ve never managed to make anything that takes their eyes off the TV! I bet this will do it! Looks so darned good, and I adore the lovely crusty bit you’ve got on top.